Initial mock selections discussed on 'NHL Draft Class' podcast

James Hagens is producing at an exceptional rate despite playing against bigger and stronger competition on a weekly basis as a freshman center at Boston College and that could be reason enough to consider him with the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.

"The one thing you have to understand or take into consideration with James is that he's playing college hockey right now and you saw how dominant he was with the National Team Development Program Under-18 team last year (when he scored 39 goals and 102 points in 58 games)," Boston College coach Greg Brown said on the latest edition of the "NHL Draft Class" podcast. "If he was playing another year of juniors, what would it look like?

"While the difference in levels is probably the hardest thing for the scouts to assess, the fact that he's doing this well in college speaks very highly of his game and where he's going."

Hagens has 31 points (eight goals, 23 assists) in 29 games with Boston College this season. The 18-year-old has 11 points (three goals, eight assists) in 13 games since returning from the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship in Ottawa, where he helped the United States win a second straight gold medal.

"He makes some things look so easy," Brown said. "He can transport the puck, has his head up and he's never surprised by people when he's carrying the puck. His feel for that … you saw it at the NTDP, but you didn't know if it would transfer as easily as it has to the college level. That part has been really impressive."

Hagens was projected to be selected in different spots among the top four picks in the 2025 NHL Draft, according to the initial mock drafts by NHL.com writers Adam Kimelman and Mike G. Morreale.

Kimelman has Hagens going No. 3 to the Nashville Predators and Morreale has him going No. 4 to the Buffalo Sabres.

"I think for as much success as Nashville has had since they've been around, they've never have been able to find that No. 1 center to draft and develop and build around long term, and James Hagens is the opportunity they've been looking for," Kimelman said. "A guy with such a dynamic skill set. As coach Brown said, the puck finds James whenever he's on the ice."

Kimelman and Morreale each thought the San Jose Sharks would select defenseman Matthew Schaefer of Erie in the Ontario Hockey League with the No. 1 pick.

"Schaefer is an elite skater and really comfortable and confident with the puck on his stick," Morreale said. "He can influence every shift and would be a major building block for the Sharks after getting center Macklin Celebrini No. 1 in the 2024 NHL Draft."

Schaefer won't be back until April while he recovers from a broken collarbone sustained playing for Canada at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship, but his resume is impeccable.

Each writer laid out reasons for choosing the player they selected with each pick, which included a deep dive into the top six selections followed by a few favorite choices later on in the draft.

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